Hibs 3 Motherwell 0
A Martin Boyle brace and a Myziane Maolida penalty kick gave us a resounding 3-0 victory over Motherwell in the final home fixture of the 2023/24 campaign.
On a night when club legends Lewis Stevenson and Paul Hanlon played their final game at Easter Road in Hibs colours, the boys put in a terrific performance worthy of the occasion and ensured the pair left the park victorious.
Interim Head Coach David Gray made three changes to the side defeated by Aberdeen, with Stevenson, Nectaris Triantis and Josh Campbell all restored to the starting XI.
For Stevenson, it would be a landmark 600th appearance for the Club in his, and skipper Hanlon’s, final home bow before they depart in the summer.
Edinburgh had been bathed in the warm summer sunshine ahead of kick-off only for temperatures to plummet as fog rolled in off the forth.
There was an early stoppage to proceedings due to an injury sustained by assistant referee, Drew Kirkland. He was unable to continue and was replaced on the line by fourth official, Steven McLean.
The match began in tepid fashion as the teams cancelled out each other and it took until the 20th minute before any action of note as a lovely diagonal from Georgie Gent appeared to release Sam Nicholson in behind us on the right; the former Hearts man got a shot away however he was thwarted by a terrific sliding block by Hanlon.
It took us a little while longer to find our rhythm as a rising effort from Joe Newell was turned behind by Liam Kelly in the 31st minute – our first effort at goal.
It would spark a period of pressure from ourselves and from the resultant corner kick, Boyle’s deflected shot struck the outside of Kelly’s post with the goalkeeper beaten.
Moments later, Dylan Vente headed wide from a Boyle cross before we were awarded a penalty kick on 38 minutes after Stephen O’Donnell handled.
Myziane took the spot kick, sending Kelly the wrong way and calmly rolling it into the net for his 10th goal since joining us in January.
We would quickly double our advantage as Newell’s threaded pass in behind found the run of Myziane and his cut back was volleyed home by Boyle.
The Australia international didn’t make the cleanest of connections with his shot, however it was enough to evade Kelly and find the far corner of the net.
Boyle went close to notching a second goal soon after with a rising shot from the edge of the area only for it to clear Kelly’s crossbar.
We would grab a third goal with the first attack of note in the second half as Dan Casey could only divert Stevenson’s cross to Boyle, who stepped inside and drilled a low finish beyond Kelly for his second of the evening.
The visitors to their credit didn’t give in and almost immediately reduced arrears with Jojo Wollacott producing a fine save to deny Theo Blair before Harry Paton slammed the rebound into the side netting.
Lennon Miller then dragged a shot wide from distance before Blair thought he had scored only for his celebration to be cut short by the offside flag.
We also had the ball in the back of the net when Adam Le Fondre slammed home only for this too to be ruled out by VAR after Luke Amos had strayed offside earlier in the move.
Skipper Hanlon almost grabbed a goal in his final Easter Road appearance with a header three minutes from the end, only for Ebiye Moses to hook it off the line.
Easter Road rose as one in the 90th minute as Stevenson and Hanlon took their final bow when they were replaced for the final moments by Dylan Levitt and Nathan Moriah-Welsh. The pair receiving a standing ovation for the Hibees faithful.